Devarim 26:11

11 And thou shalt rejoice in kol hatov which Hashem Eloheicha hath given unto thee, and unto thine bais, thou, and the Levi, and the ger that is among you.

Devarim 26:11 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 26:11

And thou shalt rejoice in every good [thing]
In all the blessings of goodness and mercies of life, which God in his kind providence had favoured them with:

which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house;
to them and their families, by which they were comfortably provided for:

thou and the Levite, and the stranger that [is] among you;
by which it seems that not only a basket of firstfruits was brought and presented to the Lord, which is the perquisite of the priest, but there were others also brought, or bought with their money at Jerusalem, and a sort of a kept, which the Levite, and stranger or proselyte, of along with the owner; see ( Deuteronomy 12:11 Deuteronomy 12:12 ) ( Deuteronomy 16:10 Deuteronomy 16:11 ) ; though Jarchi understands it of the Levite and stranger being obliged to bring the firstfruits: the Levite, he says, is bound to the firstfruits of the plants in the midst of his cities, though he had no part in the division of the land; and the same writer says, the stranger brings the firstfruits, but does not proclaim, because he cannot say, "which he sware to our fathers", ( Deuteronomy 26:3 ) ; but it is said ^F6, if his mother was an Israelitess he might proclaim; yea, Maimonides ^F7 says, on account of what is said of Abraham, ( Genesis 17:5 ) ; who is the father of the whole world; see ( Romans 4:10 Romans 4:13 ) ; because mention is made of rejoicing; hence it is concluded, as Jarchi says, that the proclamation of the firstfruits was only made in the time of joy, from Pentecost unto the feast that a man gathers in his increase, and his fruits, and his wine, and his oil; though from that feast and onward he may bring, but not proclaim; to the same purpose, says the Misnah ^F8, from Pentecost to the feast of tabernacles a man may bring the firstfruits, and proclaim; and even from the feast of tabernacles to the dedication of the temple, he may bring, but not proclaim; the reason given in Siphri ^F9 is, because proclamation is only to be performed in time of joy--and the joy of the year is finished at the end of the feast of tabernacles, as in ( Leviticus 23:40 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F6 Misn. Biccurim, c. 1. sect. 4.
F7 Maimon. Hilchot Biccurim, c. 4. sect. 3.
F8 Ut supra, (^F6) sect. 6.
F9 Apud Maimon. Hilchot Biccurim, c. 4. sect. 6.

Devarim 26:11 In-Context

9 And He hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even an eretz zavat cholov udevash.

10 And now, hinei, I have brought the reshit pri ha’adamah (firstfruits of the fruit of the land), which Thou, Hashem, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before Hashem Eloheicha, and worship before Hashem Eloheicha;

11 And thou shalt rejoice in kol hatov which Hashem Eloheicha hath given unto thee, and unto thine bais, thou, and the Levi, and the ger that is among you.

12 When thou hast made an end of tithing kol ma’aser (all the tithe) of thine tevu’at bashanah hashelishit (increase in the third year), which is the Shnat HaMa’aser (Year of Tithing), and hast given it unto the Levi, the ger, the yatom (orphan), and the almanah, that they may eat within thy she’arim, and be filled;

13 Then thou shalt say before Hashem Eloheicha, I have brought away HaKodesh (the Holy) out of mine bais, and also have given them unto the Levi, and unto the ger, to the yatom (orphan), and to the almanah, according to all Thy mitzvot which Thou hast commanded me; I have not transgressed Thy mitzvot, neither have I forgotten them.